A/N: Thank you so much for all of the ideas! I loved them all and I'm going to try and use a little bit of all of them, but I'm going to pretty much steal all of Alori Kesi Aldercy's, because it is a very beautiful idea, though I am going to adapt it Let me know if there are any parts you think I should change.

Tara watched the clear waves lapping softly at the golden sand. She sat just up from the water, hugging her knees, watching Erikson's ship disappear into the sunset. It had taken all day for Erikson to detach Jack from the mast. Jack had a plan that if he stayed up there long enough Erikson would relent in his decision. In the end, Erikson had thrown Tara into the sea and Jack had dived in after. They had swam to the island and Jack had disappeared almost an hour ago, muttering something about 'not this place again'.

Tara looked up at the orange-pink sky and sighed. How were they going to get out of this one? Even the great Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't do anything about this.

Where was Jack anyway? She turned her head around, looking into the thick clusters of palm trees, slightly worried.

"Jack?" she called.

No reply. She chewed her lip, and pushed herself onto her feet, striding off into the trees, her hazel eyes wide with fear.

"Jack! Jack!"

She screamed as two hands grabbed her shoulders suddenly. She was spun around and found that it was Jack who had grabbed her.

"Hush, Tar'," he smiled. "Worried about me, were yer?"

"No," she lied.

"Liar."

"You can talk. All you do is lie! You're a cheat, a fraud, a pirate!" she shouted.

"A pirate who loves ye!" he said suddenly.

"Will you stop with that?" she asked sharply. "I don't care how you feel!"

His eyes widened, and she felt her heart jolt as she saw the pain in them.

"I love you!" he shouted.

"I hate you!" she screamed at him.

"Wha'?"

She was roaring now, eyes closed to block out his hurt eyes. "Look what you've done to me! Look! I'm stranded on this... bloody jungle island thing with you! You kidnapped me, you brought me to this! I hate you! I can't stand you anymore, Jack!"

Silence. She opened her eyes, already feeling tears there. Jack's expression was one of pure shock, as though he had been whacked around the head with a fish that he hadn't quite seen coming. The shock faded into sorrow. His mouth tightened, and he shrugged.

"I didn't realise you felt that way, Tara," he said in a low, almost formal voice. "I'll just leave you alone. I'm sorry to have been such a problem to you. Goodbye, Tara."

He walked off, disappearing into the thick clusters of palm trees which fringed the beach. Tara waited until he had been gone for about two minutes before curling up in a small ball on the golden sand, sobbing. Jack wasn't coming back now. Why had she said those things to him? As much as she wanted to, she didn't hate him.

She loved him.

She looked up at the sky. It was a grey colour now, dark and threatening, yet filled with tiny golden stars and a large, full moon. It reminded her of a night not so long ago aboard the Black Pearl.

Tara stared at the stars as Jack drained his bottle of rum.
"Aren't the stars lovely tonight?" she asked absently.
"Not as lovely as you," said Jack.
He leaned closer to her, his eyes semi-closed, ready for the kiss...
Tara fainted just as his lips brushed hers.

She sighed, not bothering to wipe the tears away, her thoughts still whirring.

"What the hell do you care?" she asked, anger running through her veins.
"I care a lot," he said.
The anger melted at the sight of his sweet brown eyes. Tears filled her hazel ones, and she sobbed quietly. Jack slipped his arms around her, and held her tightly as she cried into his shoulder.

What was she doing? Giving in?

"You should be sorry," said Tara fairly. "I mean, you're so cocky."
"I know. I am sorry. But I did stick up for you."
"To who?"
"The rum," said Jack without thinking.
Tara laughed through her tears. "You stood up for me in front of your best friend?"

Did she really have a choice? She had to give in. If she kept fighting, it was going to kill her.

He kissed her softly. Her heart pounded, she melted into his arms, kissing him back, free, floating...
"Go on then," she said as they pulled apart.
"You're saying it first," said Jack.
"Uh-uh, you are."
"Ladies first."
"Well that's you then."
"Just say it, Tara."
"No, you."
"Please?"
"Say it, Jack."
"Fine," said Jack. "I love you, Tara Waller."
"And I love you too, Jack Sparrow."
"Captain Jack Sparrow, luv."

She sat up. She didn't care. She was trying to make herself hate him for her mother's sake, but she could see now that she could never make herself hate Jack. She loved him too much.

"Jack!" she shouted, wiping her eyes. "Jack!"

Where was he? She had half-expected him to appear suddenly, to take her in his arms, to hold her, and all the pain would leave.

"Jack!" She stood up and went into all the trees, wondering how far he could have gotten. "Jack!"

Out of the trees was a long grassy field which seemed to run on forever, a stream flowing along. How big was this bloody island? More importantly, where the hell was Jack? She stomped on, wondering where he was with increasing panic.

"Jack!"

There he was, a small figure on the horizon. She ran towards him, heart jolting. She gasped as she saw he was standing at the top of a very high waterfall, apparently preparing to jump. She froze twenty metres away from him, watching him in horror. What was he doing?

He jumped.

Tara screamed and ran forward, staring at the water in the stream where he had landed. She watched with baited breath, waiting for his head to appear, grinning broadly.

It didn't.

"Jack..." she whispered.

There was only one thing she could do, right? She closed her eyes, walked forward, and...

Jumped.

She fell, tumbling, water all around, she was gasping, screaming silently...

She landed in the water with a splash, going under, swallowing water. This would be the end, she was weak and the world was blurring.

Arms grabbed her, someone was pulling her up, and she took a deep mouthful of air as she was dragged out onto the bank. Jack was sitting next to her, his face showing his pure confusion.

"Tar'?" he asked. "What the...?"

She sat up and hugged her knees. "You scared me, Jack!"

"What?" he asked, standing up.

"I was worried, Jack," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I thought you were trying to kill yourself!"

A small grim smile adorned his face. "That's something ye would do, not me. I was takin' a swim ter cool off, Tar'."

"You drove me to suicide that time," she snapped.

"I ne'er meant ter," he said sadly, looking down at her. "I talked yer down, didn' I?"

"Snogged me down, more like," she scoffed, and they both smiled.

"I know yer don't care, but I do love you, Tar'."

"I lied, Jack," she said sadly, looking up at him.

"Wha'?" he asked.

"I lied. I do love you, Jack. I love you so much."

His expression was one of total joy as he fell down on his knees beside her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"D'yer mean it?" he asked.

"Yes. Oh my God, yes," she whispered, tears of joy rolling down her face.

"I thought I'd lost yer ferever, Tar'," he said.

"Never," she said into his ear. "You have all of me."

"Guess wha'?"

"What?"

"I found some rum."

She giggled through her tears, and for a moment they held each other in a beautiful embrace under the stars and beside the waterfall, finally complete.